SSC
Book Review: Zero To One
Scott Alexander reviews 'Zero To One' by Peter Thiel, discussing its advice on creating monopolies, believing in secrets, and embracing definite optimism for successful startups.
39 min read 5,908 words
A thread through the archive
contrarianism
Essays tagged “contrarianism”. Follow an idea across the archive.
Essays on contrarianism
8 essaysSSC
Two Kinds Of Caution
Scott criticizes an article downplaying AI risks in favor of mundane technologies, arguing this represents misplaced caution given AI's potential existential threat.
13 min read 1,903 words
SSC
Thin Air
Scott examines the relationship between altitude and obesity, then explores and ultimately dismisses the theory that increased atmospheric CO2 could be causing the obesity epidemic.
12 min read 1,809 words
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Book Review: Chronicles Of Wasted Time
Scott Alexander reviews Malcolm Muggeridge's autobiography, examining his experiences exposing Stalin's regime and the West's willful ignorance of Soviet crimes.
48 min read 7,335 words
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Contrarians, Crackpots, and Consensus
Scott explores the nature of scientific contrarianism, discussing how ideas spread through the scientific community and the challenges faced by both crackpots and legitimate contrarians.
23 min read 3,495 words
SSC
Should You Reverse Any Advice You Hear?
Scott Alexander discusses how people tend to seek advice that reinforces their existing tendencies and proposes considering the opposite of appealing advice.
11 min read 1,595 words
LW
Intellectual Hipsters and Meta-Contrarianism
Scott introduces the concept of "meta-contrarianism" - where highly intelligent people signal their status by rejecting contrarian positions and returning to simpler views, similar to how hipsters adopt uncool styles to seem cooler.
16 min read 2,358 words
LW
That other kind of status
Scott proposes that people don't just seek status itself, but rather seek mental states that allow them to believe they have status, explaining why people adopt low-status beliefs like conspiracy theories.
8 min read 1,193 words